Comments on: Former Chancellor Merl Baker dies at age 89

By: Chuck Lahmeyer

Chuck Lahmeyer — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 15:30:06 +0000

I studied engineering at the college from 1961-1966 and remember Chancellor Baker well. The school was MSM when I began and was led by Dean Curtis Laws Wilson who had also been the dean when my father graduated in 1947. We students, in our infinite wisdom, decided we did not like the change of name from MSM to UMR, nor did we like being part of a four campus University of Missouri system. At least that’s what some of us thought. So a “demonstration” was scheduled, or perhaps just thought of spontaneously, late one night and the idea occurred to us to march on the dean’s house. So we did. At perhaps 10 PM. We got Dean Baker out of bed and loudly made our demands known, NO UMR! He came out and spoke to us and tried to persuade us it was all for the good. Not persuaded, we went away anyhow and the name change took place as planned. Perhaps it was a good thing but on that evening some 200 Miners were not convinced. I salute Dean Baker and his cool head that rowdy evening. That event is one of my pleasant memories of MSM.

By: Ken Westray BS ChE MS EM

Ken Westray BS ChE MS EM — Sun, 25 Aug 2013 22:38:13 +0000

When I was released from the Army, he helped me enroll in the Engineering Management masters program within 2 hours of me walking into his office without an appointment. He was a great listener and helped me without fuss. He then had to handle the change of the school’s identity to UMR from MSM. It is a shame when your brand is destroyed and he had to manage the transition. What I liked best as an under graduate was his sense of tolerance – the fall burning of an outhouse in his front yard, streaking in the quad, war protests, real St Pat’s parties, and coal fights at the power plant.

Chancellor Baker was a very good man who was always helping students including myself. Thank you

By: Robert Halford

Robert Halford — Fri, 23 Aug 2013 19:41:31 +0000

I attended UMR from 1964 to 1968 coming from a small community in the Ozarks. Enrolling, paying dues, negotiating all things college were made simple and easy compared to what we’ve seen at colleges our children attended. Looking back it likely has roots with Chancellor Baker. He also brought in interesting speakers like Arthur C. Clark, musicians like Dave Brubek and other technical speakers. He was surely responsible for the hiring of some very good Electrical Engineering faculty too.

By: Mike Rissell

Mike Rissell — Thu, 22 Aug 2013 14:12:41 +0000

In reply to Gerry Howser. I enrolled at UMR in the fall of 1969 and arrived on campus a few days early. I can’t remember whose office I was looking for, but I just stopped this guy and asked if he could help me. He shook my hand, welcomed me to the UMR campus, introduced himself as Chancellor Baker, and then personally took me to where I needed to go. I probably blocked out of my mind where I was going then because of my embarrassment having bothered the UMR Chancellor to simply finding someone’s office. What a sincerely nice man.

By: Gerry Howser

Gerry Howser — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 19:03:35 +0000

I was an undergraduate student in Physics during Dr. Baker’s tenure. I remember him as a quiet man who actually listened to the students. He seemed to really care about us and did not mind too much when jokes were made at his expense (nothing much worse than “Chancellor Mel”). He did his job well and cared for the students and the faculty.

He was a good man.